


all for naught

by LunaD



Category: Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Cartoon 2018), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Canon Compliant, Gen, Missing Scene, Spoilers for Battle Nexus: New York
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-19
Updated: 2020-07-19
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:01:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,572
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25381282
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LunaD/pseuds/LunaD
Summary: A drawn out version of the final scene in Battle Nexus: New York, because who doesn't love angst?
Comments: 3
Kudos: 71





	all for naught

**Author's Note:**

> I really wanted a lengthened fic dealing with the protectiveness of the boys, but since it only just aired, there wasn't anything yet...so, enjoy this quick self endulgence.

Finally, after everything, it felt like things were going in their favor. They had mastered their weapons, became a better team, and in turn, became better brothers. They had some semblance of family life again, if family life included four teenage mutant turtles, a rat, human, a strange mystic pet, and a recently reformed mad scientist. Not even the Foot had shown up since their victory against the Shredder, and they were finally starting to feel a sense of peace.

From exploring the exciting underground world of the hidden Yokai City, to New York, learning more about the two worlds they had been inadvertently shunned from. Life was really good. All things considered, in a way that should have clued them in that something deadly was about to break the stillness and content in their life. They just never thought it would be like this.

The whooping and praise from their premature victory had suddenly stalled to an abrupt stop. The smoke cleared as the Foot Recruit's voice demanded the attention of everyone in the room. 

“There is no Shadow Fiend…”

The blazing sky outlined the hulking cloaked figure in the dusty pass. The wind whipped around its head, red glowing eyes piercing through the dark inner hood. Suddenly, Raphael’s protective mystic form lost all semblance of defense as the hooded figure lunged forward, its tattered hood finally flying off. Even huddled together, the sudden realization of what was in front of them, what they had been fighting all along, sent a spine chilling fear through them all. 

Although the Foot Recruit’s voice had been drowned out by the sudden rush of blood to their ears, causing a deafening ringing, all involved couldn’t help but think of the name in horror.

The Shredder. 

Master Splinter had been the first to react, ordering his son to portal them to safety. The last time they had faced the Shredder, they had no hope of defeating him, only containing him. This time he was contained, and until they could get that ring, everyone’s life was in danger. Splinter wasn’t going to risk his son’s lives again. Not after the last time. 

But Splinter, in all his strength, was too slow. The Shredder easily broke through Raphael’s mystic form, splitting them all apart. They were knocked to the ground, seperated, and by the time Splinter looked back, his worst fears were being recognized. Before him stood the fiend, poised over his son, ready to crack the bones under his claw. 

Raphael was the closest, and without hesitation rushed to his sibling’s side. He knew from the sheer amount of desperation he felt, that this would haunt him in the future. His eyes caught Donatello’s form, huddled in on himself, face scrunched in terror. The Shredder loomed over him, moving in a slow, taunting saunter. In an instant Raphael was transferred back to their last encounter.

They were less experienced then, and they had learned the hard way just how powerful the Shredder was. Over an hour of non-stop fighting had left them dead on their feet, but the Shredder had remained flawless. All five of them hadn’t retreated that night without some sort of injury, but Donnie… Donnie had come the closest to death that night. 

Raphael had never seen anything destroy his brother’s prized shell. He always boasted about the material's indestructibility. In a way it was like his security. Although it was shocking, downright disturbing, seeing something so important to his brother’s safety taken apart like it was mere butter, it was even more so to see his brother realize this too. 

Donatello has always been bad with emotions, and sometimes that even includes hiding them. The way that it had affected his brother broke Raphael apart, knowing there weren’t words they could say to one another to make things better. Sure they could remind each other that the Shredder was gone, that they didn’t have to fear him. But that didn’t erase the trauma that plagued them in the following month.

Blindly, Raphael lunged for Donatello, nearly squashing him as he bundled his hulking mass over his brother protectively. The Shredder wouldn’t be able to slash his way through the snapping turtle’s shell so easily, of that Raph was certain. No, this time Raphael was going to protect his brother in a way his own shell couldn’t, no matter how strong the metal seemed to be. 

Raphael felt relief replace the panic once he felt his younger brother’s arms wrap around him, still huddling away from their adversary. Donatello wasn’t prideful when it came to his weaknesses, especially this, knowing painfully well the limits of his own biology. Raphael felt the crushing weight of the fiend bare down on them, his brother involuntarily whimpering at the doubly crushing weight atop him. 

Beside him he heard Leo call out, his brother’s voice panicked and straining. Leo had spotted Mikey after they were forced apart, the box turtle following his instinct and retreating into his shell. Although Mikey was relatively safe like this, it still left him vulnerable as he was immobile. Leo instinctually dashed overtop him, afraid the Shredder would turn to an easier target. 

From inside the shell Leo could hear his brother’s terrified cries echoing out from the inner chamber. Mikey was strong, bright, and courageous, but the Shredder had impacted him strongly. Leonardo remembered none too fondly of the change the days after their first round with the Shredder had gone. Mikey had been more reserved, more easily spooked, and more soft spoken. 

If it hadn’t happened to them all, Leo wouldn’t have believed such a change could happen. Thankfully it hadn’t taken long for them all to shrug off the event. It was supposedly easier to deal with a horrific encounter if your brain tries to tuck it away in a nice box. But that didn’t stop the nightmares from occasionally plaguing his brothers at night. Leo had tried to get Don to open up to him, but with how stubborn his brother is, it didn’t take long for Leo to get the hint. 

Don didn’t want to talk about it. Mikey on the other hand, always welcomed his brother’s sudden visits at night. If Leon was being honest, he’d say he hadn’t been getting much sleep either at that time. Perhaps more accurately deep down, he needed his brother’s comfort as much as they needed his. Mikey had recounted his nightmares to Leo whenever they happened, then he’d assure Leo that they were only dreams, as if it was Leo who had come in to fend off the nightmares, and not Mikey. 

Knowing the terrible dreams that had stolen the sleep from his brother for so long, it didn’t take much to guess what was going on in his mind at this very moment. He huddled over the box turtle’s shell, reassuring his brother with his presence. This time Leo would make sure that Mikey wouldn’t feel scared fighting the Shredder, not when this time they were all together. 

At this moment they had no plan, only the driving will to protect each other. Leonardo, too, realized this, and did the only sane thing a teenager in this situation would do. He called for his father. 

“Dad!” Leo didn’t mean for his voice to sound so desperate, so scared, but he knew immediately by the look on his father’s face that it had. He had never seen his father’s face with such an expression, somehow, it made the fear inside him build even more. Splinter lept to the side, a plan already in motion. 

When Leonardo realized what his father was lunging for, he acted. Hoisting his brother up, he ran at the Shredder. The ground had started to crack and dent under the force of the Shredder’s foot, pinning his brothers underneath. He had to get them off before they were crushed. Ignoring his own fears, he hurled himself at their enemy, the action doing nothing to sway the beast.

Suddenly a blue glow emerged from the floor, flooding them all in a bright light. Something whirled past them, knocking the Shredder off his brothers. He felt himself dip down into the ground, and looked around to see a giant portal open up below them. Leo felt his brother’s head pop out from the hiding spot in his shell, noting the sudden change in the fight. 

One moment they were fighting for their lives again, the next, they were gone. There was a single moment of stunned silence, everyone too scared to make the first move. No one wanted to jinx it if they weren’t in fact safe. But as the moment stretched on, the spell wore off, and smiles appeared on the turtle’s faces. 

Mikey emerged from his shell completely, grappling his brother so tight it stole the breath from him. Raphael brought them all together, including a skittish Donatello still clinging to the snapper’s arm. The bear hug was bitter sweet, as the tears and laughter of relief were weighed heavily by the lasting effect of their first encounter with the Shredder.

No doubt, their celebration would be short lived. The Shredder was still out there, erasing the healing that they had worked so hard through. The nightmares would return, and with it too the anxiety until the Shredder was dealt with again. But for now, at least they all could pretend that everything was alright.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry I didn't mention Baron, April, or Big Mama...I really just wanted to focus on how the turtles felt after the last time they met the Shredder. Also April is absolutely fearless, Queen.


End file.
